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C. W. WEISS. ELECTRICAL REGISTERING APPARATUS. No. 321,069.

Patented June .30, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

CHARLES \V. \VEISS, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES KRUSE, OF NEWV YORK, N; Y.

ELECTRICAL REGISTERING APPARATUS.

HPECIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,069, dated June 30, 1885.

(No model.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. WEIss, of

Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New. York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Registering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

My invention consists in obtaining a registry of persons or objects passing agiven point by causingthereby an interception of rays of light made to fall upon a surface of selenium (or other equivalent substance whose resistance to the passage of an electrical current is lessened by exposure to light) included in an electrical circuit, serving to excite an electromagnet, whose armature when released will operate to closeasecond electric circuit,which is made to actuate aregistering device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating my improved apparatus; Fig. 2, a View of the selenium cell detached and partially unrolled to illustrate its construction, and Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional detached viewof the adj ust-able contact-points by which the armature is made to close the local electrical circuit.

A represents a selenium cell, constructed of two superimposed strips, a a, preferably. of

brass, insulated from each other by an interposed sheet of paper, Z, and by a second sheet of paper, I), laid upon the inner strip, a, the whole being rolled up tightly and secured in a spiral coil, as illustrated. Upon one side of this spiral coil of thin insulated brass strips a coating, X, of selenium is laid, so as to connect the edges of thetwo insulated strips throughout their entire length. An extended attenuated connecting-surface is thus obtained in a very compact form. This selenium cell A is inclosed in the end of an open tube, B,withits selenium surface inward, the tube serving to cut off and protect it from all rays of light which are not directed thereupon from a lamp or light, 0, placed opposite the open end of the tube at a suitable distance to allow the passage of persons or objects between it and the tube.

The two copperplates a a of the cellare sev erally connected each with one of the electrodes of a suitable battery, D, by means of connecting-wires E E, and an electro-magnet, F, isincluded in the circuit closed from said battery 5 5 through the copper plate andthe selenium. A spring-armature, G, is mounted in front of the electro-magnet, so as to be attracted thereto when the magnet is excited, and to fall away therefrom when at rest. The free end of the armature is arranged to vibrate between two contact-points, M M, which are connected together upon a sliding plate, N, fitted to move freely between suitable ways or guides r r, or otherwise mounted so as to be free to movetogether in the same direction as the end of the armature-lever. WVhen the armatureis not attracted by the magnet,its contact with the point M will close a local circuit, H H, and thereby move a registering device, K, orsound an alarm; but when the armatureis attracted by the magnet this contact is broken and the circuitkept open. The movement of the point M in one direction and of the point M in the opposite direction when unduly pressed upon by the armaturelever will produce an automatic adjustment of the contact-point with reference to the position of the armature-lever, as determined by the power of the magnet F, so as to maintain under all conditions a very delicate and sensitive contact.

The circuit from the batteryD is completed from one plate, a, to the other plate, a, of the cell A through the selenium X uniting their edges, and the resistance of the selenium when 8 5 exposed to the light is thereby so far diminished as that it will serve asa conductor for the electric current,which, exciting the electro-magnet F, will cause it to attract its vibrating armature G, and thus open the local circuit H H. Hence so long as the rays of light from the lamp 0 fall unobstructedly upon the selenium cell the local circuit H H will remain open; buttheinstant the light is intercepted in any manner, as by an object or person passingbetween the light and cell,the increase of resistance in the sensitive selenium to the electric current will so far diminish or cut off the currentin thr primary circuit E E as that the magnet F will be weakened sufficiently to allow the springarmature G to drop back and by contact with electric circuit whereby another electric cirthe point M close the local circuit, and thus cuit is closed and a registering device inoperate the registering apparatus K or an eluded therein actuated. alarm or other device. In testimony whereof I have signed my name 5 I claim as my invention-- to this specification in the presence of two sub- 15 The method, substantially as herein describing witnesses. scribed, of actuating a registering device, which CHARLES XV. "WEISS. consists in causing each person or object pass- Vitnesses: 1

ing a given point tointercept rays of light fall- I P. ELBERT NOSTRAND, IO ing upon a selenium surface included in an I A. B. MOORE. 

